after first supporting the defense of marriage act, the obama administration concluded last year that it violates the constitution. >> we cannot defend the federal government poking its nose into what states are doing and putting the thumb on the scale against same sex companies. >> reporter: house republicans are now taking up the law's legal defense. supporters say it helps preserve traditional marriage. >> unions of two men and two women are not the same thing as a marriage between a man and a woman. only marriage between a man and a woman can connect children to their mother and father and their parents to the children. >> reporter: the fact that the court has agreed to take up both cases, including the battle over proposition 8 from california, could mean that the justices are prepared to get to the constitutional heart of the same-sex marriage issue. that might result in what would essentially be the roe v. wade of gay rights. >> thanks for that. >>> back to you, molly. you were doing a big piece of this for "the atlantic" for next week. what did you find most interesting in you